Everything to Gain
Chapter 26: The World of the Rich
Hello Fanfiction!
Your friendly neighbourhood author here with another update.
Yup, I know, fourteen hours late. But, you'll all live.
This chapter was almost painful too write because of the amount of writers block it gave me..
Seriously, I had to call over HaloGrace, a fellow fanfictioner, to help me get back on track and she did.
But, when she left my brain wandered..
I ended up shutting off my internet to stop procrastination..
But, I turned it back on again.
I don't think it helped that I was abducted by my family halfway through writing either.
We were outside for 12 hours and when I came back I almost passed out from the lack of water.
Yeah, lets just put it as: This chapter was hard to write.
But, I got it done.
So, leave it to me in a review if there are any mistakes.
And here comes chapter 26!
It was only about five minutes later that the limousine pulled in the driveway of the Ootori Mansion.
Haruhi found herself looking at the large circular building in front of her with a faint curiosity.
It wasn't as if she hadn't seen it before, no, she still clearly remembered the events of the Karenazawa's welcoming party not too long ago.
It's just that...
She leaned back from the window, her shoulder now lightly touching Kyouya's.
As they had pulled into the gates an odd silence seemed to have fallen over him.
She glanced towards him, raising an eyebrow but he simply looked back at her before reaching for a button on the ceiling of the limo.
As he pressed it he said, "Drop us in the back please."
Are the rich really too lazy to speak just a little bit louder to give commands now…?
As if reading her thoughts he said, "It's soundproof in here for privacies sake. That microphone system is the only way we could communicate with the driver. Really Haruhi, give the rich more credit."
She rolled her eyes, "And how was I supposed to know that?"
The car pulled to a stop and Kyouya opened the door for Haruhi.
Haruhi pulled herself out of the car and took a moment to glance around.
The house loomed far above her and its metallic silver walls seemed to glint in the fading light. Large windows were placed all around the house, their surfaces reflective from the outside.
She felt Kyouya pull at her arm and tug her towards the large door in front of them.
"Hurry please Haruhi." He said quietly, pulling the door open for her and then quickly entering behind her.
He placed his hand on her back and pushed her to the left, down a long stretch of hallway and then to the right up a flight of stairs.
She sighed and shook her head at the plush carpet covering the stairs made her feet sink slightly down as she walked.
Damn rich bastards and their damn squishy stairs…
She followed him as he walked down another long hallway and opened the last door on the right, gesturing for her to go in, "Here we are."
Haruhi complied and walked into the room, looking for a place to set down her school bag.
So this is Kyouya's bedroom..
Looking around, she sighed.
"Rich bastard.." She said under her breath.
The large bedroom was slightly imposing with its white walls and furniture. Two sleek white couches and a very modern looking desk stood in front of her, glowing in contrast with the dark blue rug and brown hardwood flooring.
The wall to her right had dark wooden shelves that held a massive plasma television, which also made Haruhi sigh.
She felt a hand lightly bump her on the head, turning around she saw Kyouya with an all too familiar smirk on his face, "Thinking about how much of a 'rich bastard' I am, Haruhi?"
Once again, he reads my mind..
"Maybe.." She said, taking a step forward.
"You can put your bag over here." He said, walking towards his desk and setting his own bag down by it.
As she walked towards it, she noticed a flight of stairs leading upward to a second level.
"Is it really necessary to have two different floors to your bedroom?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
"No." Kyouya replied, his smirk growing bigger.
I swear he enjoys me being annoyed..
"Anyways, the clothes that you need to change into are in the bathroom," He pointed to his right where another door stood, "I'll be up there-"
He paused at the loud buzzing noise coming from his pocket, "Please hold on one moment Haruhi."
Picking the phone out of his pocket he held it up to his ear, "Hello, Father."
Kyouya began to walk towards the other side of the room as he spoke into the phone, his voice low enough so that she couldn't hear.
Well this is great..
I guess I should get changed into whatever death trap I have to wear..
She turned around and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Oh God… How am I doing this willingly..
Haruhi pulled her clothes off with an inward groan and folded them into a neat pile on the counter.
Hanging on the side of the door was a large garment bag which she reluctantly unzipped.
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate dresses…
At least this one looks better than the stuff the twins try and force me into..
She slipped the dress on and looked at herself in the mirror.
The blue, silky material covered just her shoulders and was annoyingly low cut for Haruhi. Underneath her bust there was a band of darker blue fabric that looked as if it were held in place by a small flower made of silk. The dress fell to just below her knees.
She sighed, brushing her hands along it.
At least its not as bad as it could be..
Then she noticed the two pairs of shoes sitting underneath the garment bad.
They looked almost exactly the same to her so she reached out and grabbed the pair to the left.
And that's when she noticed the height.
She let out a sigh and muttered, "Damn Kyouya.."
The pair of shoes she was holding had to have had at least a four inch stiletto heel.
Haruhi picked up the other pair hand held them up for comparison, expecting the worst.
And, she was actually wrong.
The pair she now held in her right hand had much smaller heels that were a normal width.
At least these are possible to walk in.
She slipped them on her feet reluctantly and wobbled as she tried to stand up.
But, why would anyone choose to walk in these things!
There was one more thing that was sitting on the floor, a medium sized silver box.
She pulled the lid off and peered inside.
Really…
Inside of it was an all too familiar wig.
She groaned.
Kyouya looked at himself in the mirror.
He adjusted his suit jacket once more and moved his tie to the center.
I wonder if Haruhi is done yet..
I would like to see her face when she comes out.
It should be pretty comical.
I must say the fact that she changed without me having to threaten her with the twins coming over or something else is quite a big step for her.
He ran a hand through his hair.
I'm very interested to see how tonight plays out.
It seems my father is up to something.
He did call me just to see if Haruhi was actually coming tonight, and he seemed slightly glad that she was.
I doubt it has anything to do with the Kiamore's 'requesting her'.
But, I also wonder how Haruhi will handle herself tonight.
After a little instruction she held up well at the welcoming party.
I think she will do fine at this as well, and hopefully she will make a good impression on my father.
Kyouya turned around just as the door opened, revealing a slightly irate looking Haruhi.
"You look very pretty Haruhi." He said, walking closer to her, "But, your wig is off.."
He watched her eyes grow slightly wider in surprise as he tugged at the wig, moving it back into place.
He suppressed the grin that was about to grow on face by pushing up his glasses.
I still have no idea why I find her irritation this amusing.
She looked up at him with her eyebrows raised, "Do I really have to wear this?"
"Yes, you do." He said, turning towards the door to hide another grin.
"Alright then, I suppose that we should begin to go. My father would like us there in thirty minutes."
He noticed her glance back where her bags were, "Don't worry. They'll be in the car when we are picked up."
"Oh. " She said, giving a slight nod before following him out of the room.
He noticed her walk was slightly staggered as she tried to adjust to the small heels.
He stifled a laugh, "Are those shoes really that hard to walk in?"
"Yes. I don't see why I am always forced to wear them! What's the difference between being 5"1' and 5"? Nothing important enough to walk in these God awful death traps for.."
Kyouya chuckled, looking down at her agitated face.
She pulled at the side of her dress, "Do people really dress up this nicely just to go to an opera?"
"Yes." He replied watching her reaction.
"I don't see why.. I mean, you are just sitting, watching a performance. That doesn't require you to look nice, does it?" Haruhi moved a hand through her hair.
"I see your point, but it is still required, just as you have to dress up for masquerade balls and other dances when you could dance in jeans and a tee-shirt. It is the proper way of culture."
Kyouya opened the door for her as they exited the building, and she got in the waiting limo.
As the car began to pull out of the driveway he said, "As I said before we are going to the Leatone Opera House. There we will be seeing Raboēmu, a very popular opera that was originally played in America, that focuses on the love between the seamstress Mimi and the poet Rodolfo. It's a rather interesting piece. After words I am sure that we will end up talking to the Kiamore's for quite some time. Practically be on hosting behaviour. Stay pleasant and cordial to them the entire time, no matter how rude their actions could be. It is extremely important that you make a good impression on them and my Father, seeing as he will be present as well. Quite frankly, I have no idea what he is up to. But, it is also important that you do not reveal anything about our relationship seein-"
"I know what to do. Trust me I won't do anything stupid." She looked up at him with a smile, "I'll be on my best behaviour, even with these death heels on…"
"We must act as if I am simply escorting you tonight." His hand brushed against hers.
He felt the car slowly roll to a stop, "We're here. Let's try not to ruin any social standings, alright?"
The door of the limousine opened and he stepped out, offering his hand to Haruhi.
He felt her take it with a slight squeeze that was probably meant to be reassuring, although it only put Kyouya more on edge.
This must go perfectly.
As they stepped forward into the crowd of people he heard the car start up behind him and drive off.
"Follow me." He said quietly making his way through the crowd.
Haruhi didn't think she had ever seen this many rich people in her life.
Everywhere she turned fur coats and shining jewellery jumped out at her on the bodies of pompous looking women.
She felt a slight tug on her arm as Kyouya moved forward into the crowd of people.
The smell of perfume was overwhelming and she tried to stifle a cough.
As they moved away from the entrance, the crowd began to thin and Haruhi took a long breath.
Kyouya's arm was now linked with hers as he escorted her to their right and up a flight of velvet covered stairs.
Why should I even be surprised…
The staircase they were walking up was intricately carved and inset with different types of wood.
The railing seemed to sparkle and she wondered absentmindedly what type of jewel they were made of.
They stopped moving and Kyouya's arm tightened, drawing her just a little bit closer to him so that he could whisper, "We are going to be in a box seat of our own, it is the one to the immediate left of the staircase. But, before we sit there, we will be going to the box directly to the right of that, that is where the Kiamore's and my Father will be. Once we exchange greetings we will sit down for the first act of the opera."
She swallowed and nodded, her face felt flushed from the lack of space in the stairwell.
They began walking up the spiralling stairs once more and after only a few more steps they emerged at the entrance to four box seats.
He directed her to the one on their right, which they both entered to find the Kiamore's laughing lightly at something Kyouya's father must have said.
The three adults looked up at them from their seats and stood up.
Alright.. I think I remember their names..
There was… Kazuga Kiamore, the wife to… Uhm.. Sa- Something.
Oh Satori! Satori and Kazuga Kiamore.
The two of them stood up, walking around their chairs to face her and Kyouya.
Satori stepped forward, shaking Kyouya's hand with a smile, "Ah, Kyouya Ootori. I'm glad to see you once more; I hope you are faring well?"
He smiled in return, "Yes, I have been doing quite well, I assure you. How have you been?"
Haruhi was then approached by Kazuga, the older lady shook her hand with a bright smile, "Ah, Haruhi, wasn't it? I am quite happy to see you again. How have you been, dear?"
She smiled back at the lady, "I've been great, thank you for asking, and how are you?"
Haruhi noticed Kazuga pull down on the fabric of her dress as she said, "I've been just wonderful. I am glad to be back in the hospitality of the Ootori's once again."
"Your dress is very beautiful looking, where did you get it?" She asked, hoping she had struck a good note.
Kazuga's face brightened up, "Oh, you think so? I was thinking it looked a tad homely on me, but Satori convinced me otherwise. I thought he was only saying it to be kind. I got it at Boutique de la Dame, it's this quaint little shop in Paris. It's absolutely wonderful!"
"It sound like it is, I will have to go there someday." She replied with a smile, now looking at the woman's dress.
I can see why she thought it looked homely…
The long, eggplant coloured dress Kazuga Kiamore wore hugged her pudgy body too tightly and fell to the ground, pooling around her feet. Shining beads were woven all around the bodice of it and they showed off her her bulky jewellery.
Satori stepped next to his wife and extended his hand to Haruhi, "Hello Haruhi. I'm Satori Kiamore, I believe we talked at the welcoming party for the Karenezawa's. It's very nice to see you again. How are you?"
She smiled again, "I'm quite fine, just glad to be meeting such important business people such as yourselves for the second time."
He gave a slight nod, "As I remember, you are planning on becoming a lawyer, right?"
"Yes."
"With such a tie to the Ootori family as you must have, you must have thought about your opportunities with the Karenazawa Law Firm, yes?"
She paused, "I guess I haven't really. I don't want to be dependant on the Ootori's for a job opportunity."
"Ah, I see, what a smart young lady you are."
Yoshio Ootori stepped towards them, joining the conversation with, "Yes, she is, top of her class as I have heard."
"Thank you." She said, looking both of the men in the eyes.
The lights of the opera house flickered on and off three times.
"Ah," Yoshio said, "That means it is almost time for the show to start."
"Yes." Satori said, walking back to his seat and beginning a conversation with is wife.
Haruhi swallowed as she realized that Yoshio still stood in front of her, a look of cold determination coming from his eyes.
"Haruhi," He began, taking a step towards her, "Would you mind terribly if I was frank with you for a moment?"
She shook her head, "Not at all, please go ahead."
She could feel her heart thumping inside of her chest as he looked at her with eyes black as coal.
"I have been watching the actions of you and Kyouya for quite some time and a few things have perplexed me."
He continued, "So, I would like to know what exactly is your personal relationship with my son and how exactly do you wish to justify it?"
Urgh..
Yoshio scares me slightly..
Just saying..
He is very ruthless sounding..
*Shivers*
Anyways, I'd like to ask a tiny weenie little favour of you.
Please, please, please can you…
Review?
I know you all have busy lives and you might not have the time to write a well thought out critique of this story.
A simple: "I like dis chapter." Or perhaps even a "This story sux" If you don't enjoy it will suffice.
Any ideas about future chapters or preditctions are great too.
You just don't know how much fuel in my writing trail is made of reviews..
Really, it's about 80% reviews in the gas of writing.
Yeah, I know. That was a lame analogy, but still..
Anyways, this time I WILL see you on Thursday, and not 12:22 A.M. on Friday like I did last time.
Alright, see you all then!
~Blue